Having the right wedding flowers can really elevate the whole look and feel of your Canberra wedding. Your flowers will set the tone, compliment your colour palette, and add elegance and style to your day. In fact, flowers are one of the elements that guests tend to remember, more than any other decorative feature. So it’s worth spending some of your carefully planned budget to achieve the right look. Which brings us to the all-important question: how much should you really spend on your wedding flowers?
There are lots of factors for a florist to consider in quoting their services for your big day, and many hidden costs which you may not have thought about. So, while a wedding bouquet may cost more than a normal bunch of flowers, there are plenty of good reasons for this to be the case.
Your wedding flowers quote will include:
And that’s just the costs associated with the day itself. Don’t forget that your florist will spend time with you and your partner discussing your unique vision and the kind of look you are aiming for. They’ll brainstorm ideas, create colour palettes and research where to source the flowers they need. And of course, like any business they also have bills to pay, rent upkeep and the cost of their staff. Once you consider all the work that goes into creating your wedding flower arrangements, you can start to see why wedding flowers cost a little more than your standard bunch of carnations!
This is your wedding day so it’s important to do it your way! Not sure where to start? Here are the most common ways couples use flowers in their weddings.
If you’re not really fussed about flowers you may like to consider just a simple bouquet. It gives you something to do with your hands in photos (winning!) and can be dried and preserved as a memory of the day. Smaller bouquets are normal for the bridal party, and if you are doing the whole “throwing the bouquet” thing, you may like to use a smaller version of your main bouquet so that it doesn’t get ruined.
Flowers for suit buttonholes or wrist corsages will tie the bridal party together and create consistency in the photos. It’s also common to include these for the parents of the couple.
If you are having children in your wedding, then giving them floral crowns, floral wands or petals to throw will make them feel extra special.
Whether you are having a sit-down dinner or a cocktail style reception, floral centrepieces add a touch of elegance to the room and help keep your theme consistent.
Other common ways to incorporate flowers into your wedding is to decorate your wedding cake or the back of chairs at the ceremony. Even more popular now is an arbour or hanging floral arrangement for a real “wow” factor at the venue. Really, the sky is the limit, with budget being the number one factor as to how far you can go with your wedding flowers.
Over the years we have found that most couples tend to spend around 5% of their total budget on the floral arrangements. Of course, some couples spend a LOT more – and some will spend considerably less. But 5% is a good starting point.
Here’s a rough guide:
$10,000 budget — $500 on flowers
$20,000 budget — $1,000
$30,000 budget — $1,500
$40,000 budget — $2,000
Once you have worked out what your approximate budget is, talk to some of our excellent Canberra wedding florists about getting the best value for your money. Some couples may prefer to spend the whole lot on one incredible arrangement. Others may like to spread the love and go for simple creations that they can afford more of.
Canberra has an incredible community of talented florists who create breathtakingly beautiful arrangements for local couples. We encourage you to browse our list of awesome Canberra florists and message them directly for a chat or a quote. These guys are the best in the business so don’t be afraid to use them as a sounding board for ideas!
And if you need help with more aspects of your wedding, why not head over to our handy Wedding Planner and then create an account to start planning your one-of-a-kind Canberra wedding.